It's amazing what one quality win can do for a resume for the NCAA Tournament. Had the Texas Longhorns lost at West Virginia on Wednesday night, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. However, they'd be just 11-7 and well on their way to the NIT at best. Now all of a sudden, they're 12-6, they've got three Top 25 RPI wins under their belt, and they have a chance to improve their standing even more on Saturday in what suddenly looks like a massive game against the Kansas Jayhawks.
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HOW THE TEXAS LONGHORNS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Longhorns have won these last three games by valuing the basketball. They just went on the road and only turned the ball over eight times against a West Virginia team which puts more pressure on ball handlers than any other team in the Big XII, and they went to the foul line 30 times on a night where the Mountaineers didn't even get into the 50s in scoring.
This isn't quite the same team which Shaka Smart coached at VCU, but it could be a much better recipe for covering a game like this. That frenetic pace probably isn't going to work in the Phog, and even when the Longhorns played to 185 total points against Iowa State (albeit partially thanks to overtime), the offense still felt like it was always under control.
Operate well in half court sets, take smart shots from the field, drive to the hoop and force contact. Those are all of the keys to winning this game, and the Longhorns probably have to execute all of it to have any shot at the upset.
HOW THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Bill Self is not a happy camper right now. His Jayhawks were blasted by Oklahoma State in a game in which they showed no fight whatsoever midweek, and that has to have him worried with a Texas team full of confidence coming to Lawrence.
With Brannen Greene likely to sit out another game, the Jayhawks really need a fifth starter, and Cheick Diallo isn't that man. Diallo was a huge disappointment in the starting five against the Pokes, and he only played 13 minutes as a result.
The big question is where Self is going to look to now. Wayne Selden Jr. has to get his shot back again, but we have confidence that the "big four" players on this college basketball team are going to get theirs. But in order to cover a game like this one, someone else is going to have to step up. It could be Diallo, but it could also be a Landen Lucas or Carlton Bragg Jr.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Jayhawks are probably going to ultimately win this game, and we think they're going to end up covering it as well. Though the Longhorns are flying high, we just can't see them turning around in three days and beating Kansas after beating West Virginia.
Don't be shocked to see the pace of this game get a little bit too fast for Texas' liking, and once the wheels start to come off just a bit, it'll be tough to get the train back on the track. Still, the Longhorns won't have anything to be ashamed of, and they'll be in it with a chance until the dying minutes of the game.
Kansas 79, Texas 71
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